Modern Languages 126 – Italian Film To Neorealism and Beyond

Costanza Gislon Dopfel, PhD Office: Dante 318 e-mail: [email protected] Office hours: Tu/Th 10:30-11:30; Wed by appointment

This course covers the development of Italian film from its pre-WWI beginnings, through the Fascist period, to the great Neo-Realist movement and beyond.

Learning Goals: 1. To appreciate the aesthetic and artistic value of films 2. To understand different artistic styles, movements and themes in Italian film 3. To develop the tools for analyzing film through a cultural framework 4. To learn about Italian history and culture through film. 5. To develop the appropriate vocabulary for film analysis both from an artistic and a technical point of view.

Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to 1. discuss the development of Italian filmmaking, including fundamental movements such as neorealism; 2. identify stereotypes, and analyze underlying artistic, political and social themes; 3. identify basic moments of Italian modern history and their relationship to cinematic expression 4. analyze different genres and movements using appropriate vocabulary 5. examine the production of meaning through their new understanding of technical approaches, genre and form.

Warning: This course requires dedicated time to watch up to two films a week. Students who do not intend to watch the assigned titles on their own should not enroll in the course. Participation in class is heavily weighted (25%).

Week 1 - IC (Italian Cinema) 1-30 2/10 – Introduction 2/12- silent movies – Cabiria

W2 - IC 31-53 Neorealism – Roberto Rossellini from Fascist Apologist to Anti-Fascist 2/17 – Independent viewing : Open City discussion 2/19 – selections from Paisa’

W3 – IC 53-66 Neorealism – Vittorio De Sica 2/24 – Independent viewing Umberto D –discussion 2/26 – selections from Bicycle Thief

W4 - IC 24-30; 67-73 and 97-102 Neorealim – Luchino Visconti 3/3 – Independent viewing: Ossessione 3/5- Selections from La Terra Trema

W5 – IC 74-96 The Boundaries of Neorealism - Giuseppe de Santis 3/10 - Independent viewing: Bitter Rice 3/12 – Selections from Visconti’s Bellissima

W6 –IC 103-114; 210-228 Beyond neorealism – Michelangelo Antonioni 3/17– Independent viewing: La Notte 3/19 – selections from: L’Avventura

W7 – IC 114-141; 229-252 Federico Fellini 3/24 - Independent viewing: La Dolce Vita 3/26 - selections from Amarcord

W8 – Easter Break

W9- IC 142-161; 354-362 Commedia all’italiana 4/7 – Independent viewing: Comencini: Bread, Love and Dreams 4/9 –Selections from Wertmuller: Swept Away

W10 -IC 173-178; 341-346; 392-397 Magic realism and hyper-realism 4/14 – Independent Viewing - Vittorio Taviani: Night of the Shooting Stars 4/16- Selections from Ermanno Olmi: L’albero degli zoccoli

W11- IC 196-209 Luchino Visconti: The Last Aristocrat 4/21 - Independent viewing - Death in Venice 4/23 – Selections from The Leopard

W12- IC 366-376; 179-187; 275-296 - Paper due Politics as Religion, Religion as Politics 4/28 – independent viewing - Ettore Scola: We all loved each other so much 4/30 – selections from Pasolini: The Gospel according to Matthew

W13- IC 297-317; 430-434; 454-461 Romanticizing Italy 5/5 – Independent viewing - Bernardo Bertolucci: Stealing Beauty 5/7 – Selections from Giuseppe Tornatore: Cinema Paradiso

W14- IC 447-451 The Tragicommedia 5/12 – independent viewing - Benigni: Life is beautiful 5/14 – Conclusion

Final: Thursday 5/21, 11:30 to 1:30

Grading: Midterm 15% Final 25% Quizzes 10% Paper 25% Attendance, Presentations and Participation 25%

Attendance is mandatory: more than three absences will result in point deduction from your final grade. All movies except for one are available through Netflix. Students MUST watch the films before coming to class. Attendance will be monitored. After 2 absences the student will be warned.

Honor Code: This course follows all rules and practices of Saint Mary’s College Honor Code. Students will be required to submit their papers through Turnitin.

Textbook: A History of Italian Cinema by Peter Bondanella Publisher: Continuum (October 15, 2009) ISBN-10: 1441160698 ISBN-13: 978-1441160690

Additional reading material will be available as handouts and on ERES: Bertellini, Giorgio. Italian Film Theory and Criticism Casetti, Francesco. Within the Look West, Rebecca. Beyond Life is Beautiful: Comedy and Tragedy in the Cinema of Roberto Benigni. Grace Russo Bullaro, ed. Troubador Publishing, 2005. Sorlino, Pierre. Italian National Cinema 1896-1996 Routledge London 1996 Hughes , Howard. Cinema Italiano. The Complete Guide from Classics to Cult. I.B. Tauris, London 2011 Italian Cultural Studies: An introduction. Edited by Forgacs, David and Lumley, Robert Oxford University Press , London.

Movies to watch:

1. Roma Citta’ Aperta (1945 ) (Rome Open City) Rossellini 2. Paisa’ (1946) (Paisan) Rosselllini 3. Umberto D – De Sica 4. Bicycle Thief – De Sica 5. Ossessione – Visconti 6. La terra trema - Visconti 7. Riso Amaro (1949) Bitter Rice – Giuseppe de Santis 8. Bellissima – De Santis 9. La Notte – Antonioni 10. L’Avventura – Antonioni 11. La dolce vita (1960) Fellini 12. Amarcord – Fellini 13. Bread, Love and Dreams – Comencini 14. Swept Away – Wertmuller 15. La notte di San Lorenzo -The Night of the shooting stars (1962) Paolo e Vittorio Taviani 16. L’albero degli Zoccoli – Ermanno Olmi 17. We all loved each other so much – Ettore Scola 18. The Gospel according to Matthew - Pasolini 19. Steeling beauty (1996) Bernardo Bertolucci 20. Cinema Paradiso – Giuseppe Tornatore 21. Life is Beautiful - Benigni

Additional films: 22. My voyage to Italy (1999) Scorsese 23. Journey to Italy (1954) Rossellini (not on Netflix) 24. They call me Trinity/ Trinity is still my name (1970) Enzo Barboni 25. For a fistful of dollars (1964) Sergio Leone